Paralegal

The Position

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This is a limited continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:

3/6/2024, 4/3/2024, 5/1/2024, 5/29/2024, 6/26/2024 (Final)

Under the direction and supervision of a licensed attorney, performs legal tasks assisting the attorney in preparing legal documents, and other legal services.

Examples of Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of

• Mechanics of legal research

• Types and functions of pleadings associated with lawsuits

• Governmental process, in particular the judicial branch, court system and administrative process

• Civil procedures and Rules of the Court

• Legal terminology

• Principles of correct and accepted grammar, punctuation and spelling

• Fundamentals of procedural and substantive due process of law

Ability to

• Read and understand statutes, court decisions, and other legal documents

• Work independently to organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on assignments

• Identify legal parties in compliance with statutory requirements

• Read with comprehension and understanding

• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing

• Reason and analyze situations logically and accurately

• Compose explanatory memoranda and business correspondence

• Learn fundamental legal principles applicable to particular types of lawsuits

• Learn legal principles applicable to particular types of lawsuits

• Identify and apply relevant facts related to legal principles of due process

• Use computerized legal research programs

• Operate various office equipment including computer hardware and software

• Work cooperatively with a variety of groups and individuals

Employment Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

In accordance with the California Business and Professions Code, Section 6450 (c), as may be amended from time to time, applicants must meet one of the following requirements:

• Possess a certificate of completion of a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association.

• Possess a certificate of completion of a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a postsecondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.

• Possess a baccalaureate degree or an advanced degree in any subject and a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks.

• Possess a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma and a minimum of three years of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks.

Note: If the word "experience" is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click here or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.

General Qualifications

Continuing Education Requirement: Incumbents assigned to the Paralegal class are required to meet mandatory continuing education requirements pursuant to California Law, Business and Professions Code, Section 6450(d), as may be amended from time to time. Failure to meet the required continuing education requirement may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11.4.

License Requirement: Some positions may require possession of a valid California Driver's License, Class C or higher, prior to appointment to this class. Failure to maintain a valid license may constitute cause for personnel action in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11.4. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to a physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Other Requirements: Some positions in this class may require the ability to operate word processing equipment at not less than 40 net words per minute. Where the word processing skill is required, it is used in performing the typical duties of the class as shown in the "Examples of Duties" above. The Civil Service Commission approved the use of selective certification for this special skill on August 23, 1991.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is twelve (12)months.

Application and Testing Information

APPLICATION

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here to apply.

County of Sacramento

Department of Personnel Services

Employment Services Division

700 H Street, Room 4667

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone (916) 874-5593; 7-1-1 California Relay Service

EmailEmployOffice@Saccounty.net

Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

www.SacCountyJobs.net

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.

• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.

• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.

• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.

• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.

• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.

• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.

• If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.

• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.

• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

For information regarding County jobs:

• www.saccountyjobs.net

Applicants requesting reasonable accommodations during employment examinations: For more information, please review the Job Applicant Exam Reasonable Accommodation Information and submit an Employment Exam Reasonable Accommodation Online Request Form.